2011 Cricket World Cup
Encyclopedia
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup
. It was played in India
, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh
. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup. The World Cup was also due to be co-hosted by Pakistan, but in the wake of the 2009 attack
on the Sri Lanka national cricket team in Lahore
, the International Cricket Council
(ICC) decided to remove Pakistan from the hosting countries. The headquarters of the organising committee were originally situated in Lahore, but have now been shifted to Mumbai. Pakistan was supposed to hold 14 matches, including one semi-final. Eight of Pakistan's matches (including the semi-final) were awarded to India, four to Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh.
All matches in the World Cup were accorded One Day International status, with all matches being played over 50 overs. Fourteen national cricket teams competed in the tournament, including ten full members and four associate members. The World Cup took place between 19 February and 2 April 2011, with the first match played on 19 February 2011 with co-hosts India and Bangladesh facing off at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur
, Dhaka
. The opening ceremony was held on 17 February 2011 at Bangabandhu National Stadium
, Dhaka
, two days before the start of the tournament, with the final on 2 April 2011 between India and Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium
, Mumbai
.
India won the tournament defeating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the final
in Mumbai. India became the first nation to win a World Cup final on home soil. India's Yuvraj Singh
was declared the man of the tournament.
Australia and New Zealand also bid for the tournament, and a successful Australasia
n bid for the 2011 World Cup would have seen a 50–50 split in games, with the final still up for negotiation. The Trans–Tasman
bid, Beyond Boundaries, was the only bid for 2011 delivered to ICC headquarters in Dubai
ahead of the 1 March deadline. Considerable merits of the Australasian bid were the superior venues and infrastructure and the total support of both the New Zealand and Australian governments on tax and customs issues during the tournament, according to Cricket Australia
chief executive James Sutherland
. The New Zealand government had also given assurance that Zimbabwe
would be allowed to compete in the tournament, following political discussions in the country over whether their cricket team should be allowed to tour Zimbabwe in 2005.
ICC President Ehsan Mani
said the extra time taken by the Asian block to hand over its bid compliance book had harmed the four-nation bid. However, when the time came to vote, Asia won the hosting rights by seven votes to three. The Pakistan Cricket Board
has revealed that it was the vote of the West Indies Cricket Board
that swung the matter, as the Asian bid had the support of the four bidding countries along with South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was reported in Pakistani newspaper Dawn
that the Asian countries promised to hold fund-raising events for West Indian cricket during the 2007 World Cup
, which may have influenced the vote. However, chairman of the Monitoring Committee of the Asian bid, I. S. Bindra, said it was their promise of extra profits in the region of US$400 million that swung the vote, that there "was no quid pro quo for their support", and that playing the West Indies had "nothing to do with the World Cup bid".
The ICC prefers to rotate World venues between major cricket playing nations. The World Cups have been hosted by England (three times: 1975, 1979, 1983), India/Pakistan (1987), Australia/New Zealand (1992), India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka (1996), England/Netherlands (1999), South Africa/Zimbabwe/Kenya) (2003) and West Indies (2007). For the 2011 World Cup Australia/New Zealand were a strong contender ahead of India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka/Bangladesh because they had not hosted a World Cup since 1992. In the final voting India won because they argued that since they were a bigger group of countries they should be assigned a World Cup more frequently. Australia/New Zealand were awarded the 2015 World Cup.
The ICC also organised a qualifying
tournament in South Africa to determine which Associate teams would participate in 2011 event. Ireland, who had been the best performing Associate nation since the last World Cup, won the tournament, beating Canada in the final. The Netherlands and Kenya also qualified by virtue of finishing third and fourth respectively.
The following 14 teams qualified for the final tournament.
in Lahore
.
It is estimated that the PCB will lose $10.5 million due to the tournament being taken away from them. This figure only includes the match-fee of $750,000 per match guaranteed by the ICC. The overall loss to the PCB and the Pakistani economy is expected to be much greater.
On 9 April 2009, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt revealed that they had issued a legal notice to oppose ICC's decision. However, the ICC claims that PCB is still a co-host and they have only shifted the matches out of Pakistan. Pakistan had proposed that South Asia host the 2015 World Cup
and Australia/New Zealand host 2011, however this option did not find favour with their co-hosts and hence didn't materialise.
chairman Shaharyar Khan announced an agreement about the allocation of games. The original plan involved India hosting the final, while Pakistan and Sri Lanka would host the semi-finals. and the opening ceremony will take place in Bangladesh.
After being stripped of its co-host status, Pakistan made the bid to host its home games in the cities of UAE as a neutral home venue. This is a result of Pakistan playing matches in the preceding months in Abu Dhabi
, Dubai
and Sharjah
. The pitches in these stadiums have also been developed to suit the Pakistani players.
However, on 28 April 2009, the ICC announced the re-allocation of matches originally intended to be played in Pakistan. As a result, India hosted 29 matches across eight venues including the final and one semi-final; Sri Lanka hosted 12 in three venues, including one semi-final; while Bangladesh staged eight at two grounds as well as the opening ceremony on 17 February 2011.
On 1 June 2010, the first phase of tickets for the 2011 World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were put on sale following a meeting of the tournament's Central Organising Committee in Mumbai. The tickets were priced affordably, with the cheapest costing 20 US cents in Sri Lanka, the committee said. In January 2011, the ICC declared the Eden Gardens
ground in Kolkata, India to be unfit and unlikely to be complete by 27 February when it was scheduled to host a match between India and England. As a result, the match was moved to Bangalore.
and Star Cricket
. At least two billion people from more than 180 countries around the world tuned into the tournament. This was the first time that the ICC Cricket World Cup was broadcast in High Definition format and was covered by at least 27 cameras, including such innovative features as movable slips cameras and new, low 45-degree field cameras.
Other technological advances for the tournament included the first time that an ICC event will have the Umpire Decision Review System
(UDRS) thus further enhanced the overall presentation of the game. The ICC Cricket World Cup was also be shown across platforms such as online and mobile 3G.
Song and other promotions
The official song of the 2011 Cricket World Cup has three versions, in Bengali
, Hindi and Sinhala in accordance with the three hosting countries. "De Ghuma Ke
" is the Hindi version composed by the trio of Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy. It incorporates an array of Indian rhythms, as well as elements of rock and hip-hop. The Sinhales version, "Sinha Udaane", was adapted by Sri Lankan
R&B and hip hop
artist Ranidu Lankage
and composed by Shehan Galahitiyawa, one of the leading lyricists in the country. Both songs was performed at the opening ceremony of the tournament, which was held in Bangladesh on 17 February 2011. Sinha Udaane was performed by Lankage.
The official event ambassador for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was Sachin Tendulkar
, promoting various ICC initiatives for the tournament.
Mascot
Stumpy
, a young elephant, is the official mascot for the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He was unveiled at a function in Colombo
, Sri Lanka, on Friday, 2 April 2010. The official name of the mascot was released on Monday, 2 August 2010 after an online competition conducted by the International Cricket Council
in the last week of July, 2010.
in Dhaka
, Bangladesh. The event took place on 17 February 2011, 2 days prior to the first match of the World Cup.
deciding to double the total allocation for the coveted tournament to US$ 10 million. The winning team will also take home a replica of the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy, that has been awarded since 1999. The decision was taken at the ICC Board meeting which was held in Dubai
on 20 April 2010. The total prize money on offer for the tournament for the teams placing from 1st to 8th is US$7.48 million. The remaining two semi-finalists will receive 0.75 million US$ each. The last four quarter-finalists will each receive 0.37 million US$.
by the International Cricket Council
. Two new stadiums in Sri Lanka
have been constructed for the World Cup at Kandy
and Hambantota
.
(Bangladesh
) to officiate at the World Cup: 5 from Australia, 6 from Asia, 3 from England, 2 from New Zealand and 1 each from South Africa and West Indies.
Australia Simon Taufel
Steve Davis
Rod Tucker
Daryl Harper
Bruce Oxenford
New Zealand Billy Bowden
Tony Hill
South Africa Marais Erasmus
Pakistan Aleem Dar
Asad Rauf
India Shavir Tarapore
Amiesh Saheba
England Ian Gould
Richard Kettleborough
Nigel Llong
Sri Lanka Asoka de Silva Kumar Dharmasena
West Indies Billy Doctrove
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
. It was played in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup. The World Cup was also due to be co-hosted by Pakistan, but in the wake of the 2009 attack
2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team attack occurred on March 3, 2009, when a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers, part of a larger convoy, was fired upon by 12 gunmen, near the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. The cricketers were on their way to play the third day of the second Test against the...
on the Sri Lanka national cricket team in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
(ICC) decided to remove Pakistan from the hosting countries. The headquarters of the organising committee were originally situated in Lahore, but have now been shifted to Mumbai. Pakistan was supposed to hold 14 matches, including one semi-final. Eight of Pakistan's matches (including the semi-final) were awarded to India, four to Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh.
All matches in the World Cup were accorded One Day International status, with all matches being played over 50 overs. Fourteen national cricket teams competed in the tournament, including ten full members and four associate members. The World Cup took place between 19 February and 2 April 2011, with the first match played on 19 February 2011 with co-hosts India and Bangladesh facing off at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur
Mirpur Thana
Mirpur is a thana of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. It is bounded by Pallabi Thana to the north, Mohammadpur Thana to the south, Kafrul to the east - to the west it is bounded by Savar Upazila.-Geography:Mirpur is located at...
, Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
. The opening ceremony was held on 17 February 2011 at Bangabandhu National Stadium
Bangabandhu National Stadium
Bangabandhu National Stadium, also known as Dhaka Stadium, and formerly known as Dacca Stadium is the national stadium and a multipurpose sports arena in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located in the Motijheel area in the heart of the city...
, Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, two days before the start of the tournament, with the final on 2 April 2011 between India and Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium
Wankhede Stadium
The Sheshrao Krushnarao Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Mumbai. This ground was built after disputes between the Cricket Club of India, which owns the Brabourne Stadium, and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for cricket matches...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
India won the tournament defeating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the final
2011 Cricket World Cup Final
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Final was played between India and Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on 2 April 2011. This was the 10th ICC Cricket World Cup. India won the match by six wickets, its second World Cup victory, having previously won in 1983. India became the third nation to...
in Mumbai. India became the first nation to win a World Cup final on home soil. India's Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
was declared the man of the tournament.
Bids
The ICC originally announced its decision as to which countries would host the 2011 World Cup on 30 April 2006.Australia and New Zealand also bid for the tournament, and a successful Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
n bid for the 2011 World Cup would have seen a 50–50 split in games, with the final still up for negotiation. The Trans–Tasman
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
bid, Beyond Boundaries, was the only bid for 2011 delivered to ICC headquarters in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
ahead of the 1 March deadline. Considerable merits of the Australasian bid were the superior venues and infrastructure and the total support of both the New Zealand and Australian governments on tax and customs issues during the tournament, according to Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia, formerly known as the Australian Cricket Board, is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket...
chief executive James Sutherland
James Sutherland (cricketer)
James Alexander Sutherland is a former Australian first-class cricketer and current cricket administrator...
. The New Zealand government had also given assurance that Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
would be allowed to compete in the tournament, following political discussions in the country over whether their cricket team should be allowed to tour Zimbabwe in 2005.
ICC President Ehsan Mani
Ehsan Mani
Ehsan Mani is a former President of the International Cricket Council . He was born in Rawalpindi in Pakistan on March 23, 1945. He spent his early life in Pakistan playing for the Rawalpindi Club and Government College Lahore XI from 1959 to 1965 as a right-hand batsman and a left-arm fast medium...
said the extra time taken by the Asian block to hand over its bid compliance book had harmed the four-nation bid. However, when the time came to vote, Asia won the hosting rights by seven votes to three. The Pakistan Cricket Board
Pakistan Cricket Board
The Pakistan Cricket Board is a sporting organization that is responsible for governing all professional cricket including Test cricket and One Day International matches played in Pakistan...
has revealed that it was the vote of the West Indies Cricket Board
West Indies Cricket Board
The West Indies Cricket Board is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in the West Indies...
that swung the matter, as the Asian bid had the support of the four bidding countries along with South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was reported in Pakistani newspaper Dawn
Dawn (newspaper)
Dawn is Pakistan's oldest and most widely read English-language newspaper. One of the country's two largest English-language dailies, it is the flagship of the Dawn Group of Newspapers, published by Pakistan Herald Publications, which also owns the Herald, a magazine, the evening paper The Star and...
that the Asian countries promised to hold fund-raising events for West Indian cricket during the 2007 World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
, which may have influenced the vote. However, chairman of the Monitoring Committee of the Asian bid, I. S. Bindra, said it was their promise of extra profits in the region of US$400 million that swung the vote, that there "was no quid pro quo for their support", and that playing the West Indies had "nothing to do with the World Cup bid".
The ICC prefers to rotate World venues between major cricket playing nations. The World Cups have been hosted by England (three times: 1975, 1979, 1983), India/Pakistan (1987), Australia/New Zealand (1992), India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka (1996), England/Netherlands (1999), South Africa/Zimbabwe/Kenya) (2003) and West Indies (2007). For the 2011 World Cup Australia/New Zealand were a strong contender ahead of India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka/Bangladesh because they had not hosted a World Cup since 1992. In the final voting India won because they argued that since they were a bigger group of countries they should be assigned a World Cup more frequently. Australia/New Zealand were awarded the 2015 World Cup.
Format
Late in 2007, the four host nations agreed upon a revised format for the 2011 World Cup identical to the 1996 World Cup, the only change being the number of teams: it was 12 in 1996 and 14 in 2011. The first round of the tournament will be a round-robin in which the 14 teams are divided into two groups of 7 teams each. The 7 teams play each other once with the top 4 from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals. The format ensures that each team gets to play a minimum of 6 matches even if they are ruled out of the tournament due to early defeats.Qualification
As per ICC regulations, all 10 full members automatically qualify for the World Cup, including Zimbabwe who have given up their Test playing status until the standard of their team improves.The ICC also organised a qualifying
2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier
The 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier was a cricket tournament that took place in April 2009 in South Africa. It was the final qualification tournament for the 2011 Cricket World Cup....
tournament in South Africa to determine which Associate teams would participate in 2011 event. Ireland, who had been the best performing Associate nation since the last World Cup, won the tournament, beating Canada in the final. The Netherlands and Kenya also qualified by virtue of finishing third and fourth respectively.
The following 14 teams qualified for the final tournament.
| Group A | Group B | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Rank | Team |
| Full Members | |||
| 1 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 8 | ||
| 9 | 10 | ||
| Associate Members | |||
| 11 | 12 | ||
| 13 | 14 | ||
Pakistan loses co-host status
In April 2009 the ICC announced that Pakistan had lost its right to co-host the 2011 World Cup due to ongoing concerns about the "uncertain security situation" prevailing in the country, especially in the aftermath of the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team attack occurred on March 3, 2009, when a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers, part of a larger convoy, was fired upon by 12 gunmen, near the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. The cricketers were on their way to play the third day of the second Test against the...
in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
.
It is estimated that the PCB will lose $10.5 million due to the tournament being taken away from them. This figure only includes the match-fee of $750,000 per match guaranteed by the ICC. The overall loss to the PCB and the Pakistani economy is expected to be much greater.
On 9 April 2009, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt revealed that they had issued a legal notice to oppose ICC's decision. However, the ICC claims that PCB is still a co-host and they have only shifted the matches out of Pakistan. Pakistan had proposed that South Asia host the 2015 World Cup
2015 Cricket World Cup
The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup will be the 11th ICC Cricket World Cup, and will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The location of the games will be evenly split, with the location of the final yet to be decided....
and Australia/New Zealand host 2011, however this option did not find favour with their co-hosts and hence didn't materialise.
Allocation of matches
On 11 April 2005, Pakistan Cricket BoardPakistan Cricket Board
The Pakistan Cricket Board is a sporting organization that is responsible for governing all professional cricket including Test cricket and One Day International matches played in Pakistan...
chairman Shaharyar Khan announced an agreement about the allocation of games. The original plan involved India hosting the final, while Pakistan and Sri Lanka would host the semi-finals. and the opening ceremony will take place in Bangladesh.
After being stripped of its co-host status, Pakistan made the bid to host its home games in the cities of UAE as a neutral home venue. This is a result of Pakistan playing matches in the preceding months in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
and Sharjah
Sharjah (city)
Sharjah is the third largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.Sharjah is the seat of government of the emirate of Sharjah...
. The pitches in these stadiums have also been developed to suit the Pakistani players.
However, on 28 April 2009, the ICC announced the re-allocation of matches originally intended to be played in Pakistan. As a result, India hosted 29 matches across eight venues including the final and one semi-final; Sri Lanka hosted 12 in three venues, including one semi-final; while Bangladesh staged eight at two grounds as well as the opening ceremony on 17 February 2011.
On 1 June 2010, the first phase of tickets for the 2011 World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were put on sale following a meeting of the tournament's Central Organising Committee in Mumbai. The tickets were priced affordably, with the cheapest costing 20 US cents in Sri Lanka, the committee said. In January 2011, the ICC declared the Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata , India. It is the home of the Bengal cricket team and the Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as being a Test and One Day International ground. It is the largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity...
ground in Kolkata, India to be unfit and unlikely to be complete by 27 February when it was scheduled to host a match between India and England. As a result, the match was moved to Bangalore.
Media and promotion
The World Cup has grown as a media event with each tournament. The International Cricket Council had sold the rights for broadcasting of the 2011 Cricket World Cup for around US$ 2 billion to ESPN Star SportsESPN Star Sports
ESPN Star Sports is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and News Corporation...
and Star Cricket
STAR Cricket
Part of the ESPN-STAR network, STAR Cricket is a 24-hour cricket channel targeting Indian audiences owned by STAR TV. A channel showcasing first-class cricket action from around the globe, it broadcasts live and prerecorded international and regional cricket events as well as programming customised...
. At least two billion people from more than 180 countries around the world tuned into the tournament. This was the first time that the ICC Cricket World Cup was broadcast in High Definition format and was covered by at least 27 cameras, including such innovative features as movable slips cameras and new, low 45-degree field cameras.
Other technological advances for the tournament included the first time that an ICC event will have the Umpire Decision Review System
Umpire Decision Review System
The Umpire Decision Review System is a new technology based system currently being used on an experimental basis in the sport of cricket. The system was first introduced in Test Cricket for the sole purpose of reviewing the controversial decisions made by the on-field umpires in the case of a...
(UDRS) thus further enhanced the overall presentation of the game. The ICC Cricket World Cup was also be shown across platforms such as online and mobile 3G.
Song and other promotions
The official song of the 2011 Cricket World Cup has three versions, in Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, Hindi and Sinhala in accordance with the three hosting countries. "De Ghuma Ke
De Ghuma Ke
De Ghumaa Ke , is a song composed by the trio of Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and has been sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Divya Kumar. It is the official song for the 2011 Cricket World Cup. It was released worldwide on 31 December 2010...
" is the Hindi version composed by the trio of Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy. It incorporates an array of Indian rhythms, as well as elements of rock and hip-hop. The Sinhales version, "Sinha Udaane", was adapted by Sri Lankan
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
R&B and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
artist Ranidu Lankage
Ranidu Lankage
Ranidu Lankage is a Sinhalese R&B and hip hop artist who raised the international profile of Sinhalese RnB/pop. Lankage is the first Sinhalese artist to be played on BBC Radio 1 and the creator of the first Sinhalese single to be played on MTV and channel V and Z music India...
and composed by Shehan Galahitiyawa, one of the leading lyricists in the country. Both songs was performed at the opening ceremony of the tournament, which was held in Bangladesh on 17 February 2011. Sinha Udaane was performed by Lankage.
The official event ambassador for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
, promoting various ICC initiatives for the tournament.
Mascot
Stumpy
Stumpy
Stumpy is the official mascot for the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He was unveiled at a function in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Friday, 2 April 2010. He is a ten year old elephant who is very young, enthusiastic and is determined. Cricket-followers based all over the world were able to participate in a...
, a young elephant, is the official mascot for the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He was unveiled at a function in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Sri Lanka, on Friday, 2 April 2010. The official name of the mascot was released on Monday, 2 August 2010 after an online competition conducted by the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
in the last week of July, 2010.
Opening ceremony
The Opening Ceremony was held in Bangladesh. The venue for the opening ceremony was Bangabandhu National StadiumBangabandhu National Stadium
Bangabandhu National Stadium, also known as Dhaka Stadium, and formerly known as Dacca Stadium is the national stadium and a multipurpose sports arena in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located in the Motijheel area in the heart of the city...
in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, Bangladesh. The event took place on 17 February 2011, 2 days prior to the first match of the World Cup.
Prize money
The 2011 Cricket World Cup winning team would be taking home a prize money of US$ 3 million and US$ 1.5 million for runner-up, with the International Cricket CouncilInternational Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
deciding to double the total allocation for the coveted tournament to US$ 10 million. The winning team will also take home a replica of the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy, that has been awarded since 1999. The decision was taken at the ICC Board meeting which was held in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
on 20 April 2010. The total prize money on offer for the tournament for the teams placing from 1st to 8th is US$7.48 million. The remaining two semi-finalists will receive 0.75 million US$ each. The last four quarter-finalists will each receive 0.37 million US$.
Venues
All the venues of the 2011 Cricket World Cup were announced on 2 November 2009 in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
by the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
. Two new stadiums in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
have been constructed for the World Cup at Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
and Hambantota
Hambantota
Hambantota is a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Hambantota District...
.
 IndiaIndia India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
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| Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India... |
Chennai Chennai Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India... |
New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is... |
Nagpur Nagpur Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune... |
Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad... |
| Eden Gardens Eden Gardens Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata , India. It is the home of the Bengal cricket team and the Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as being a Test and One Day International ground. It is the largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity... |
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium M. A. Chidambaram Stadium The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium is a cricket stadium in Chennai , India, named after M. A. Chidambaram, the former President of BCCI and the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. The stadium was formerly known as Madras Cricket Club Ground or Chepauk Stadium. Commonly known as Chepauk, its first match was... |
Feroz Shah Kotla Feroz Shah Kotla The Feroz Shah Kotla or Kotla was originally a fortress built by Sultan Ferozshah Tughlaq to house his version of Delhi city called Ferozabad. A pristine polished sandstone pillar from the 3rd century B.C... |
Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium is a Test cricket ground built in 2008 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India... |
Sardar Patel Stadium Sardar Patel Stadium Sardar Patel Stadium is one of the premier Cricket stadiums of India located in the Motera locality of Ahmedabad. Because of its location, the stadium is commonly called Motera Stadium to avoid confusion with another stadium of the same name in Navrangpura locality of Ahmedabad. Sardar Patel... |
| Capacity: 90,000 | Capacity: 45,000 | Capacity: 48,000 | Capacity: 44,000 | Capacity: 48,000 |
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| Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million... |
Mohali Mohali Mohali is a city adjacent to Chandigarh, 18th District in Punjab, India. It is officially named after the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahibzada Ajit Singh . It, along with Chandigarh and Panchkula, form a part of the Chandigarh Tricity... |
Bangalore Bangalore Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and... |
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| Wankhede Stadium Wankhede Stadium The Sheshrao Krushnarao Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Mumbai. This ground was built after disputes between the Cricket Club of India, which owns the Brabourne Stadium, and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for cricket matches... |
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium Punjab Cricket Association Stadium The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium is located at Mohali, just outside the city of Chandigarh. It is popularly referred to as the Mohali Stadium. The stadium is home to the Punjab team. Punjab's second international cricket stadium has been approved by BCCI in Bathinda, Punjab. The... |
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium M. Chinnaswamy Stadium The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium , located in Bangalore, Karnataka, is one of the cricket stadiums of India. Flanked by the picturesque Cubbon Park, Queen's Road, Cubbon and uptown MG Road, this four decade old stadium is situated in the heart of the city of Bangalore. Formerly known as the Karnataka... |
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| Capacity: 33,000 | Capacity: 35,000 | Capacity: 40,000 | ||
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 Sri LankaSri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the... |
 BangladeshBangladesh Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south... |
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| Colombo Colombo Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo... |
Kandy Kandy Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an... |
Hambantota Hambantota Hambantota is a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Hambantota District... |
Chittagong Chittagong Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading... |
Dhaka Dhaka Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city... |
| R. Premadasa Stadium R. Premadasa Stadium R. Premadasa Stadium is a cricket stadium situated on Khettarama Road, Maligawatta, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The stadium was, prior to June 1994, known as the Khettarama Cricket Stadium and is today one of the main venues in which the Sri Lankan cricket team play... |
Muttiah Muralitharan Cricket Stadium |
Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium |
Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium | Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium |
| Capacity: 35,000 | Capacity: 35,000 | Capacity: 35,000 | Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 26,000 |
Umpires
The Umpire selection panel selected 18 umpires excluding a reserve umpire, Enamul HaqueEnamul Haque
Enamul Haque is a former Bangladeshi cricketer who played in 10 Tests and 29 ODIs from 1990 to 2003....
(Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
) to officiate at the World Cup: 5 from Australia, 6 from Asia, 3 from England, 2 from New Zealand and 1 each from South Africa and West Indies.
Australia Simon Taufel
Simon Taufel
Simon James Arthur Taufel, , is an Australian cricket umpire who is a member of the ICC Elite umpire panel...
Steve Davis
Steve Davis (umpire)
Stephen James Davis, , is a current Australian Test cricket match umpire, from South Australia. He was appointed to the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires in April 2008.-Umpiring career:...
Rod Tucker
Rod Tucker
Rodney James Tucker is a cricket umpire and member of the ICC Elite Umpire Panel. He was a cricketer who played briefly for New South Wales from 1985/86 to 1987/88, before moving to Tasmania who he played for from 1987/88 to 1998/99. He was also vice-captain of Tasmania from 1991/92 until 1995/96...
Daryl Harper
Daryl Harper
Daryl John Harper, is an Australian cricket umpire, who was a Test umpire between 1998 and 2011. He was a member of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires from 2002 until 2011 when the ICC announced that Harper was being stood down at the termination of his contract in July 2011...
Bruce Oxenford
Bruce Oxenford
Bruce Nicholas James Oxenford is an Australian cricket umpire.-Playing career:Oxenford played in eight first-class matches for Queensland during the 1991/92 and 1992/93 seasons.-Umpiring career:...
New Zealand Billy Bowden
Billy Bowden
Brent Fraser "Billy" Bowden is an international cricket umpire from New Zealand. He was a player until he began to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and took up umpiring...
Tony Hill
Tony Hill (umpire)
Anthony Lloyd Hill , commonly known as Tony Hill, is an international cricket umpire from New Zealand. He is currently a member of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires....
South Africa Marais Erasmus
Marais Erasmus
Marais Erasmus, , is a current South African cricket umpire from Cape Province and member of the ICC Elite Umpire Panel....
Pakistan Aleem Dar
Aleem Dar
Aleem Sarwar Dar is a retired Pakistani first-class cricketer and a member of the ICC Elite umpire panel. He won three consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year awards 2009, 2010 and 2011, after being nominated twice in 2005 and 2006. Aleem Dar and Simon Taufel are the only umpires to have received the...
Asad Rauf
Asad Rauf
Asad Rauf, in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, was a first class cricketer and is now a member of the Emirates ICC Elite Umpire Panel.- Playing Days :His career as a first-class cricket player lasted from 1977/78 to 1991/92...
India Shavir Tarapore
Shavir Tarapore
Shavir Tarapore, , is an Indian One Day International and Twenty20 cricket umpire, who has umpired 9 ODIs and 2 T20Is.Shavir Tarapore first stood in an International ODI in 1999. He has since umpired 9 ODIs and 2 T20Is....
Amiesh Saheba
Amiesh Saheba
Amiesh Maheshbhai Saheba is an Indian cricket umpire and former cricketer. He played as a batsman for Gujarat....
England Ian Gould
Ian Gould
Ian James Gould is an ICC Elite Panel cricket umpire and a former English cricketer. He is also chairman of English football club Burnham FC.-Player:...
Richard Kettleborough
Richard Kettleborough
Richard Allan Kettleborough is an English international cricket umpire, and former first-class cricketer who appeared in 33 first-class matches for Yorkshire and Middlesex...
Nigel Llong
Nigel Llong
Nigel James Llong was a cricketer with Kent. He made his debut in 1990 and won his county cap in 1993. He was a left hand bat and off spin bowler. Llong has since become an umpire, officiating his maiden first class match in June 2000.-Umpiring career:Llong was appointed to the ECB's panel of...
Sri Lanka Asoka de Silva Kumar Dharmasena
Kumar Dharmasena
Kumar Dharmasena is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and current Umpire. He was a member of World Cup Winning Cricket Team 1996 for Sri Lanka. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler...
West Indies Billy Doctrove
Billy Doctrove
Billy Raymond Doctrove is a former international football referee, but is best known as an international cricket umpire.- Career as a FIFA referee :...
Squads
Each country, before selecting their final squads chose a 30-member preliminary squad for the tournament which then would be cut down to 15. All the 14 teams announced their final squad before 19 January 2011.Warm-up matches
The following 14 warm-up matches were played before the World Cup started.Group A
Group B
Knockout stage
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Statistics
| Runs | Player | Team | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | Tillakaratne Dilshan Tillakaratne Dilshan Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan born October 14, 1976 in Kalutara, Sri Lanka is a Sri Lankan cricketer and captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team since April 2011. He has been a member of the team since November 1999, and was also known as Tuwan Mohammad Dilshan prior to his conversion... |
9 | |
| 482 | Sachin Tendulkar Sachin Tendulkar Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket... |
9 | |
| 465 | Kumar Sangakkara Kumar Sangakkara Kumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman... |
9 | |
| 422 | Jonathan Trott Jonathan Trott Ian Jonathan Leonard Trott is a South African-born England Test cricketer. Domestically, he plays for Warwickshire and he has also played in South Africa and New Zealand... |
7 | |
| 395 | Upul Tharanga Upul Tharanga Warushavithana Upul Tharanga , commonly known as Upul Tharanga, is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a left-handed opening batsman and wicketkeeper.-Early life:Upul Tharanga had his education at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda... |
8 |
| Wickets | Player | Team | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Shahid Afridi Shahid Afridi Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi , popularly known as Shahid Afridi , is a Pakistani cricketer. Between 1996 and 2011, Afridi played 27 Tests, 325 One Day Internationals, and 43 Twenty20 Internationals for the Pakistani national team... |
8 | |
| 21 | Zaheer Khan Zaheer Khan Zaheer Khan is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000. A left arm fast bowler considered as the best of the Indian fast bowling attack, Zaheer is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, and as a batsman also holds the record for the highest Test... |
9 | |
| 18 | Tim Southee | 8 | |
| 15 | Robin Peterson Robin Peterson Robin John Peterson is a South African cricketer who bowls left arm spin. He is also a more than capable batsman, with a first class batting average of 26.35 as of 6 November 2005. His first class bowling average is a modest 36.36, however, and in Test matches it stands at 50.37... |
7 | |
| 15 | Yuvraj Singh Yuvraj Singh Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008... |
9 |
Incidents
- The West Indies' team bus had rocks thrown at it by Bangladeshi fans on its way back to the team hotel after their win over Bangladesh in DhakaDhakaDhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
on 4 March. It was later claimed that the rock-throwers had confused the Windies' bus with the Bangladesh bus. Bangladesh’s elite Rapid Action Battalion arrested 38 people after the attack. However, the Windies were given an apology from the Bangladeshis later on. - On 8 March, fans who lined up outside the Vidarbha Cricket Association GroundVidarbha Cricket Association GroundThe Vidharba Cricket Association Ground was a Test cricket ground in the city of Nagpur. The ground is known as the VCA Ground and belongs to the Central Zone...
in NagpurNagpurNāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
to buy tickets of the match between India and South Africa were caned by the local police. - The political party Shiv SenaShiv SenaShiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray...
threatened to disrupt the match if Pakistan had reached the final in Mumbai. - The Umpire Decision Review SystemUmpire Decision Review SystemThe Umpire Decision Review System is a new technology based system currently being used on an experimental basis in the sport of cricket. The system was first introduced in Test Cricket for the sole purpose of reviewing the controversial decisions made by the on-field umpires in the case of a...
(UDRS) came under scrutiny when Indian skipper MS DhoniMahendra Singh DhoniMahendra Singh Dhoni is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team. He made his One Day International debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, and a year later played his first Test, this time against Sri Lanka.Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC...
complained about inconsistencies about the 2.5m rule in the LBW dismissal appeal for Ian Bell's wicket during the India-England match in the group stage which eventually ended in a tie. The rules were subsequently revised and the umpires were given new guidelines. Subsequently, Sri Lanka captain, Kumar SangakkaraKumar SangakkaraKumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...
criticised the decision to alter 2.5m rule during an ongoing tournament. - In the final between India and Sri Lanka, there was a mix up at the toss. Due to the loud crowd noise, match referee Jeff CroweJeff CroweJeffrey John Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He is the son of Dave Crowe and elder brother of Martin Crowe. They are cousins of Oscar winning actor, Russell Crowe....
could not hear the Sri Lankan captain Kumar SangakkaraKumar SangakkaraKumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...
's call as the coin was tossed by the Indian captain MS DhoniMahendra Singh DhoniMahendra Singh Dhoni is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team. He made his One Day International debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, and a year later played his first Test, this time against Sri Lanka.Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC...
and as a result the toss had to be redone – a virtually unheard of event, especially on a stage as big as the World Cup final. The next time, the call was heads and Sangakkara won the toss and decided to bat first.